Sunday, May 23, 2010

I am no way disappointed in it. It is a gem to me. Well first I will show you the size, I did originally think it would be a lot bigger but in a way the size is ideal as it is cute and easy to carry around for travelling.

This is the back of the book, showing some very good cosplayers who have photos in the book.

The book is very good because it doesn't just show pictures like a scrapbook but also gives information on cosplay in Japan and in the international sense. It gives insight into cosplay events and conventions in Japan which is good. It also has interviews with some very good Japanese cosplayers who I think work in the industry. I really like this ayanami cosplayer and adore her contacts. The book also gives links to the cosplayer's Cure cosplay accounts, blogs or website so you can look them up.

The interviews are short and sweet. The cosplayers just talk about how they got into cosplay and express how cosplay is important to them. They really express their passion for cosplay saying that they want to become one with the character, which is nice and personal. There are even some touching stories saying that cosplay completely benefited and changed their life.

Despite the controversy this magazine caused which I talked about in an earlier post, I would like to say that this magazine is NOT FULL Of HOT CHICS in mediocre costumes. There are actually a lot of excellent cosplayers and they are a good few male cosplayers. There are also crossplayers. I am not sure who she is cosplaying as but I love her costume (the above pic).

I also love this cosplayer's costume who is from New Zealand. Each of the pictures tell you the name of the cosplayer and what country they are from but it doesn't tell you the characters they are cosplaying as which is a little strange giving it is a cosplay book. Sure if you are a big anime nerd you could recognise a lot. ;-)

Funny I recognised some people in it such as Yaya Han (on the left) who made a business out of cosplay and has attended cons around the world as a guest.

There is Francesca Dani who will be the guest for Brocon.

Here are a few pictures of the good cosplayers that are in the book.

I see the book as very inspiring. There are some good cosplay photography in it too like this picture of the Rei cosplayer (on the left) sitting on a lake. I seen that photo before on cosplay.com and thought it was one of the best Rei Ayanami cosplay pictures ever.

At the end of the book, they show some pictures of the cosplayers from cosplayers cure. Awh look Gundam and Sailor Moon cosplayers.

A good few Evangelion cosplayers, impressive.

This is Kaname a very well known cosplayer in Japan and worldwide who does a lot of Final Fantasy cosplay. There is a also an interview with him. It is good to see a well known male cosplayer as females dominate the cosplay industry and community.

Also at the end of the book, it shows an interview between Danny and Wada Yosuke who is the vice-president of Cospa which is a big shop in Japan dedicated to everything cosplay. That is where my interfaces for my Evangelion cosplays came from. Also at the end of the book it gives beginner cosplayers advice on how to cosplay and mentions the mannerisms at conventions such as you should always ask a cosplayer permission to take their photo. What I found great and useful about the book was the section on 'coscards'. These are cards which are similar to business cards which cosplayers give to people of interest such as photographers, companies or fans at conventions. The card mentions the cosplayer's nickname, their cosplay.com or cosplayer's cure account and website or blog. Below are examples.

I found this very helpful and I plan to do some myself. Coming to the verdict, I highly would recommend this book for cosplayers who want to improve their skills or for people who want to get into cosplay. This book gives the perfect image of cosplayers as every cosplayer in this book is excellent and is very accurate to their character (well the ones I recognised but still the cosplayers I didn't know who they were cosplaying as were till very good.) This book is great for inspirations. I really like the way it goes into the whole impersonating element of cosplay, the cosplay industry and they don't say it is just dressing up. The cosplayers are inspiring as they really express their passion for this hobbie and are ambitious. The book also makes 'otaku-ness' to be cool and be proud of. I also like the way it doesn't make cosplay out to be silly or kiddish. It takes cosplay seriously. The book is for sale in amazon, hobbylinksJapan and other places. It is only under 20E I think. It is well worth a buy.

The only downsides to this book are the print and font can be really hard to read. Some of the cosplayers have a little mission statement on their page and the font is very light so it makes it hard to read. The information in the book is very brief and short but that is kinda expected as they were trying to fit as many cosplay pictures in the book as possible. Also as I already mentioned they don't mention the cosplayer's character who they are portraying. I noticed there is no Kirigumi cosplayers which would of been interesting. It is a pity that there are no C.C. from Code Geass cosplayers in it but awh well. Other then that the book is very colourful, bright and gripping. I spent hours looking through the photos and looking up some of the cosplayers for ideas. It must of been really tough for Danny and Kotobiyuki to pick the photos as there was a lot of very good entrants. A big kudos to Danny and Kotobiyuki for putting the book together. It is well designed.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Gets the champagne, shakes it, opens it and drinks it saying, "farewell college", "hello new life."

Yes that is my dissertation. Blood, sweat and tears when into that. It is finally all over and it feels.....weird. I keep on thinking I have other essays to do. I have been so busy doing essays and doing this dissertation, that is why I haven't been online much. At one stage I had to disconnect my internet so I will get things done and it worked. It was hard work and it cost me two all nighters but I really enjoyed doing it, especially hearing people's opinions on the advertisements I used for the dissertation. All year I have longed for this day. It is so weird when I think back, at the beginning of the college year that I was a little worried about my dissertation and getting through things and now it is all over. I don't know what is going to happen to me next year but I am not going to think about that for now. :-) Now I can do the things I love and I am free. I am now free and can post more blogs about cosplay, my photography and other things on my mind. I do want to celebrate but I am just too tired.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Being the sad girl I am, I spend hours browsing through cosplay communities, looking at photos, looking for inspiration from well known, talented cosplayers. I have seen the beautiful side of cosplay and I have seen the ugly side of cosplay. I know every craft, hobbie, subculture, interest has their downsides like Goths being poseurs, artistic people and Lolitas being pretentious and anime fans being an obsessed otaku. It is the same with cosplay. I can see why many people who don't know what is cosplay, seeing cosplayers as vain, full of vanity and poseurs. Of course I can see where they are getting this from as I look at some cosplayers well known or not and they scream vain. Don't get me wrong, I think many cosplayers are extremely talented and really bring out their characters in photos. I really appreciate that.

I recall the release of the infamous Otacool 2 Cosplayers Worldwide book which Danny Choo and Kotobiyuki have done and how it caused so much scandal all over the internet. Every cosplay community I was on, people complained that the book was full of 'modelplay' not cosplay and questioned why was the book full of hot girls. The arguments were endless. I submitted some of my cosplay photos and I seriously think I must have been the only or one of the very few cosplayers who didn't complain about not being in the book. I know that many people who submitted were amazing and I wouldn't have a chance but I just thought sure why not, if I don't get in, there is always next time. I was actually happy for the people who got into the book as many of them deserved it. Cosplayers took this as blasphemy, giving out that their world has fallen because they weren't chosen to be in the book. I have seen horrible bitch-ness on cosplay blogs by cosplayers themselves saying stuff like, "this cosplayer only got into the book because eh Danny Choo thought she was cute" and "this girl only got in because she like photo manipulated her picture to look like an Ayanami Rei cosplay......" I have seen cosplayers who got into the book, actually respond to these blogs defending themselves. I just know that if any of these cosplayers who weren't chosen to be in Otacool 2 actually did get picked to be in the book they wouldn't be complaining. I sometimes feel I should of said this in some of the blogs but;

1. I don't know the person and I wouldn't randomly comment on somebody else's blog.2. I avoid drama like the plague. I just stay well away from it. You are better off.

I came across a hatred site saying such mean things about a famous cosplayer who is extremely talented and is very pretty. This site was literally ripping the p*ss out of her. I mean god forbid if any of us got famous and we came across a site of one of us being mutilated. I guess that is what you get for being famous. Not everyone is going to like you and you must be prepared for that. People will always be criticized no matter how good they're at something. They will always be knocked but must be strong to get back up. It is the same with artists who write songs expressing their problems to the world and some people say they are just making it up to get attention. I sometimes feel weird and alittle scared uploading my cosplays and other photos on the World Wide Web, as I know everyone will know what I look like, there could be a day that I will be criticized and people will be talking about me. I sometimes feel, I'm I showing myself off to the world? Then again cosplay is something I really love and I feel if we have a talent in something we shouldn't hide it but show it off. We shouldn't care what people think as there will always be ignorant people out there.

In a way I don't understand people saying in their blogs, that many cosplayers kill to be famous. They just cosplay and upload their photos all over the internet because they think it will get them well known. We all strive to be successful no matter what it is. I really admire artists and cosplayers who have gotten wonderful achievements from their cosplays even if it is a bit of fame or big fame. Cosplay is a lot more then dressing up, it is art and impersonating. They worked hard for it, so they deserve it. It makes me happy to come across talented cosplayers who have achieved little or more of a profession from it and have been asked to attend as guests to many different anime cons. I really think that it is wonderful as it gives people hope to achieve their dreams. Many are ambitious and believe they will accomplish something from this rewarding hobbie. Of course to many, cosplay is for fun because it is and just seen as dressing up at anime cons or just uploading some photos of yourself on the internet. It is seen nothing more then that and that is fine as you can believe what you want. Cosplay has made me an ambitious person as I want to experiment, do many exciting photoshoots and meet interesting people. I feel hobbies are really important as they give a person self worth and self satisfaction. Without hobbies life would be dull and boring. I have tried many different things such as singing, dancing, playing an instrument and they didn't work out. I either didn't have the talent or had no motivation to carry on but with cosplay I have such great motivation to become really good and will hopefully achieve something. I see cosplay like playing an instrument and it is a way how I express myself. I am no longer going to wait for something to happen, I will make it happen.

I love the internet as I have seen elements of the anime/ manga world which fascinates me, have come across so many inspirations and motivation, yet I hate it because I have seen the ugly side of humans, the drama and hatred just over hobbies we enjoy. I can't wait to get my hands on Otacool 2 Cosplayers Worldwide and learn from these talented people.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

My sister gave me this sweet, strawberry lolita dress which she bought awhile ago of a Lolita seller who use to sell Lolita dresses on the Irish Lolita bebo site.

I think it is cute and pretty. It would be nice for the summer too.

More detail of the fabric, I like the ribbon.

There are bows on the sleeves and on the end of the dress.

A close up shot of one of the bows.

I am holding the dress out to make it more flattering. I would love to get white, knee high, frilly socks and buy the red and white shoes from Bodyline.

Or

these shoes being heels.

I really like these rich deep red shoes, there are maybe too dark for the dress but I would love them for other wear.

I plan to wear this dress to my sister's 21st and would love to try and get one of the shoes above or red, Mary Jane like heels in town.

Also I bought these tights in Pennys. Which have tiny pink bows on them. They would go well with my pink, sweet Lolita dress.

On a side note I came across a crowd known as the Pony Girls link - http://www.theponygirls.ie/ who do punk, Goth burlesque shows in the Twisted Pepper in Abbey St. I always liked burlesque and would like to mix it with my cosplays and lolita. I have yet to experience my first burlesque event. I think there are touring around Ireland so if I am free and the next time there are playing in Dublin I would like to go. If I was going I would wear burlesque Lolita inspired or ero-lolita. I say it could be a fun night.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

This is what cosplay is all about.
If you are shy, hate cameras and hate attention then don't cosplay. Just Joking. ;-)

Well I handed in my giant Uaneen essay that was on Eirtakon today and it killed me. I was up to 2 or 3am trying to get it finished. I was nearly stressing over it trying to put in appropriate photos. I do hope I get a good grade as I worked really hard on it and I did really express my passion for Eirtakon. So now two down and three to go, ugh. I will get through it, I will get through it are the thoughts running through my head. Be Positive. I just can't wait for all this to be over and I can just get out there and experiment. So many things I want to do this Summer but I am just focusing on the essays now.